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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · tube · fall · arm · ball · pit · spring · net

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pit — in a race
  9. net — after costs
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — of water
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com